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The Future of UNESCO

Belongs to Us All

UNESCO’s role as the ethical compass of the multilateral system is more vital than ever. We believe it must go beyond coordination, serving as a platform to shape meaning, safeguard humanity’s shared commons, and translate values into action. If you believe the future of multilateralism should be guided by principles, not political arrangement, and that UNESCO must become more impact-driven—this is your moment to contribute.

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We, voices from every corner of the world, call on our governments to elect the best possible leader to guide UNESCO into its next chapter.

We are students, artists, journalists, athletes, scientists, educators, and activists. We speak different languages, come from diverse cultures, and walk different paths—but we are united by a common conviction: that UNESCO matters, and that now more than ever, the world needs principled, ethical, and visionary leadership at its helm to face today’s and tomorrow’s challenges.

We are not idealists removed from reality. We live it. We come from countries grappling with climate change, war, digital manipulation, social breakdown and cost of living. We know what a world of passive institutions and silent diplomacy looks like and we reject it. Amid this uncertainty, UNESCO offers a different kind of promise. Founded on values, it stands for peace through education, science, culture, and communication. It stands for humanity in its diversity and in its resilience.

UNESCO is not an abstraction to us. When war reduced cities to rubble, it helped rebuild schools and restore memory in places like Mosul. When rising waters threatened ancestral knowledge, it worked to safeguard Indigenous languages. When digital technologies outpaced regulation, UNESCO led the creation of the world’s first global agreement on the ethics of artificial intelligence, now guiding policies in more than 70 countries. It has defended journalists, upheld freedom of expression, and turned climate education and gender equality from slogans into priorities.

And yet, we know UNESCO can, and must, do more. Too often, it is underfunded, distant, or stalled by geopolitical gridlock. It needs leadership that will not only protect its legacy, but renew its relevance.

We, the signatories of this letter, urge our governments to elect the most capable leader for UNESCO’s next chapter. Not through opaque diplomacy, but through a public mandate rooted in trust, inclusion, and accountability. We seek a leader who sees the world not only as it is, but as it could be.

We support Gabriela Ramos because she is that leader.

Gabriela Ramos understands the landscape. She has dedicated her career advancing human development through multilateral cooperation, from the OECD and the G20, to UNESCO itself. She has built trust across regions and always placed people at the center, especially those too often left behind: women, Indigenous communities, young people, the marginalized. She shares our belief that UNESCO matters. That international institutions are living systems, fragile when neglected, powerful when nurtured. That UNESCO is too important to be left behind.

To the Member States making this critical decision: hear our call. Rise to this moment. Think of the millions of students, teachers, researchers, artists, athletes, librarians, journalists, activists, and Indigenous peoples who rely on UNESCO. Think of the generations to come. Think of the legacy you are shaping.

Choose merit. Choose values. Choose purpose. Choose Gabriela Ramos. 

#VamosConRamosUNESCO

About the 2025 Election for Director-General

The Director-General of UNESCO is nominated by the Executive Board and appointed by the General Conference for a four-year term, renewable once. Candidates are proposed by Member States, and public interviews are held during a session of the Executive Board. The next appointment will take place in October 2025. View voting procedure.

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How should UNESCO contribute to addressing the challenges we face today and tomorrow?